Looking Into Eternity to Our Heavenly Home!

It's hard not to become disappointed in the things we see happening in the world today. Disasters, illnesses, death, financial loss, theft, murder, destruction on virtually every level and it seems to be getting worse, where there is no place we can look to for safety and security. Jesus reminded us that these would be the ways of things in the last days. He also reminded us to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:20).

Aren't you glad that when we get to heaven, everything will be waiting there for us in absolute perfection as only Jesus can provide?  Everyone has their own vision of what they imagine heaven will be like, but why not go to the source to read what it will really be like! The Bible is clear what it will look like, but even then words pale in comparison to what it will truly be like in both sight, sound and glorious wonder!

There will no more need for temples in heaven either, because Jesus and God are already there. A temple is man's way of meeting God. It won't be needed anymore because Jesus is it! He is all we need in this life, everything else is what man puts on top.

Our new heavenly home will be beautiful.

Revelation 21:18-21 ~ "The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was gold, transparent as glass."

All these stones mentioned here are not only their colors, but they are opaque or translucent to allow light to penetrate. In Exodus 39, the LORD told Moses to make an ephod or breastplate that had 12 stones which represented the 12 tribes of Israel. When a high priest was to appear before the LORD, he was to be wearing the ephod with the 12 stones, which had the 12 names of the tribes of Israel.

Our God is a God of detail. The artwork of the city of God is beautiful no doubt, but do you think that a building or a city is more important than salvation? Your salvation is God's work! And if He has given such detail to foundations, gates and walls, then what about His love toward us and to our blessings?

These foundations will be ascending upwards for 1500 miles, and all of these things speak of God's love for us. God has wanted us with Him for all eternity and that is why He is going to such great lengths to reach us. The effects of the city speaks of His joy for us.

Revelation 21:21 ~ "And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was gold, transparent as glass."

The gates of pearl, each entrance is lined by a pearly gate. The appearance is of light and glory. We are reflections of His glory. This is impossible for us to imagine. It's beyond what we can comprehend. This is not a metaphorical description of heaven, it's the real thing~ Could God make an oyster large enough to get a pearl to make a single gate? Absolutely! Nothing limits God.

Our new heavenly home will be a place of worship. Worship in heaven will be direct.

Revelation 21:22 ~ "And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb."

There will be no need of a temple (absolute fellowship). We won't gather for church on Sunday's any longer because God will be among us. We can worship and honor Him now, we don't have to wait for heaven. We can walk in that reality and not be bound by earthly things. Our worship in heaven will be complete and again there will be no need for a temple (complete expression). In this time zone, this side of eternity, we are the temples of the Living God.

1 Corinthians 3:16 ~ "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?"

Our heavenly home will be filled with light. Jesus is its light.

Revelation 21:23 ~ "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb."

There is something about the light that blesses us. In John 3:16-19, the Bible says that people who love evil, love the darkness and the deeds that they do, they do in darkness so that nobody knows. They will not come to the Lord who is light, lest their deeds be exposed. But men loved the darkness, rather than the light (agape). We will be in the light.

John 8:12 ~" Again Jesus spoke to them saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life." 

Jesus Christ is its focus.

Revelation 21:24 ~ "By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, "

Everyone divorces himself from glory and honor and gives it to God. Our new heavenly home will have great access. The feeling of being welcomed. Heaven's gates will never be shut.

Revelation 21:25 ~ "and its gates will never be shut by day - and there will be no night there."

Why will the gates never be shut? There will be no need to shut them. There is no evil anymore. Nothing will need to be guarded against. This is God's infinite house in eternity, and you can come and go in infinite directions through infinite space for all eternity.

Heaven's glory will never diminish.

Revelation 21:26 ~ "They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations."

As we await this glorious time to come, in a way, this is being done now by every effort you make to obey the Lord today. Heaven's guests shall never be afraid.

Revelation 21:27 ~ "But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life."

Unbeknown to the non-believer is the constant danger of their name being blotted out of the Book of Life. Very well known to the Christian believer is the constant joy of knowing that your name can never be blotted out of the Book of Life. Why is this so? Because there is only one way to preserve your name in the Book of Life, and that is to have it written in the Lamb's Book of Life!

Can you imagine, someday every human being will await a call from heaven?

There is no longer any mention of the Book of Life because that dealt with those in the millennium. It doesn't matter anymore in eternity, because only those whose names are found in the Lamb's Book of Life are residents of heaven!

Is your name in the Lamb's Book of Life? Only those win it will be in heaven and see all these unbelievable and glorious things we have been studying.

Does heaven occupy your mind? Have you accepted Jesus? Are you going to be in heaven? It's all up to you and the choice has to be yours!

Room For All, But Not All Will Come!

Where exactly is heaven? We live in a physical realm, but heaven is in the spiritual realm. Its capital city will be the New Jerusalem. It will be massive in size but it doesn't limit the size of heaven. What if God provided enough room in heaven, and in New Jerusalem, the city, for all of human life that has ever lived. Imagine if every single person in the world, trusted in Jesus Christ, because God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believed in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life. Imagine if Jesus made room for everyone, but we know factually that in heaven, not everyone will be there, how big it will be?

Jesus Christ is the door. He said Himself, that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one gets to the Father but through Him. Jesus loves every single person even though we can't comprehend what that is like. To love everyone.

Today as we open this study again into Revelation 21, we will be learning more about our heavenly home. It will be secured throughout all the ages.

Revelation 21:12-13 ~ " It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed - on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates and on the west three gates."

This is an awesome scene for those who came before Jesus Christ from Adam to John the Baptist. These looked forward to what Messiah would do for them. By faith, they looked ahead, trust in God's promises to come. Israel looked ahead for the coming Christ.

Matthew 8:11 ~ "I tell you, many will come from the east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven."

The church and the Gentile world looks back at what God has done. By faith we look back trusting in God's faithfulness to perform. God has always provided a lamb or sacrifice. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and suddenly became aware of their nakedness, I believe God offered a lamb to cloth them. For Abraham and Isaac, God provided a lamb for his obedience, and He did it for the world by offering Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, as payment. The cross is empty and even know Jesus Christ, is interceding for us before the Father.

1 John 1:9 ~ "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Your great security in Christ, you salvation is safe with Him - forever!!!

So what is the significance of the gates? There are angels at each gate. There is no evil there. There is no crime or sin there, so why the gates. It is to announce an entrance to the city. It defines the city limits. It sends a message of sovereignty and safety, a sense of proprietorship, it's God's estate. He doesn't need to. It's the epi-center of all eternity.

These gates will never be shut, never shut and forever open! The city of God will be the center of eternity. The coming and going of the holy angels and all of the believers.

It will be secured by the Word of God.

Revelation 21:14 ~ "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

The gates of the city had the 12 names of the children of Israel and the foundation of the city had the 12 names of the 12 apostles.

Hebrews 12:22-24 ~ "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."

Ephesians 2:19-20 ~ "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone."

Our new heavenly home will be grand enough for all to enter in.

Revelation 21:15-17 ~ "And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rode of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 1,380 miles. It's length and width and height are equal. he also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement."

Four square, means totality of completion, as a square, equally balanced. Dr. Henry Morris states in his commentary on Revelation, that the foursquare shape is as a cube, the city itself is 1,380 miles or 2, 220 km on each side or face including the great wall which measure 72 yards thick or 216 feet or 66 m. If calculating only 25% of space available, just that 25% or 1/4 of the city would comfortably provide enough space for 25 billion people.

That means that the capacity of the city alone is 100 billion. Hidden here in the measurements of the city is a passionate announcement of grace. There is so much room available that it can be easily argued that God prepared enough room for all humanity to enter into heaven. Heaven will not be fully occupied not because the LORD failed to invite enough people, but because many people refused His invitation.

Matthew 22:1-5 ~ "And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent servants, saying ' Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast. But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business." 

2 Peter 3:9 ~ "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."

Remember this is not the size of heaven, but the dimensions of the city! The city will be multi-levels to all levels for 1500 miles upward. Each gate will open to all the levels. Think of it like a shopping mall. The gates will be 1500 miles tall, and there are 12 of them, 3 on each side!

A great analogy for the rapture is to take a rolly-polly and pick it up and move it to a new location. That rolly-polly has been raptured in a sense, it doesn't know how it happened, just that it did and it is now in a new location. We will not be bound in Heaven or the New Jerusalem by the effects of gravity or the laws of nature. We can move in any direction, horizontally, vertically or simply at will. This will not be like any city you have ever been to or imagined.

There is nothing worse than to plan for a joyous event and no one shows up! Remember the children of Israel said No!

God wants you in heaven, why would you not show up! He has prepared a great and glorious place. We're looking at it in our study today. He's sent you numerous invitations. He sent you friends and family that have told you about Him and heaven; you may have turned to a radio station and heard a message there, whether through a song or a message; you may have seen a billboard, read a book, or some other sign, but the point is God has sent you invitation after invitation and He's still waiting.

If you miss this, its not because God failed. You failed yourself!

You removed yourself out of His hands of grace and mercy. Why on earth and in hell, would you do such a thing, when God has prepared a place for you, just waiting for you to say Yes?!!!

What Will Your Final Destination Be?

I don't know about you, but I have seen the movies, "Final Destination," and as scary as they might be, not knowing where you will spend your eternity should be more frightening than anything. If you lack the confidence of what happens after you breathe your final breath, I would encourage you to discover Jesus Christ, while you still have time to make a choice. Don't wait. If you do, trust me the movie version will be much more light hearted than you can imagine.

You may have heard the saying, "Where God guides, God provides." Coming soon, as believers in Jesus Christ, we will have an eternal home in heaven to look forward to. Is this your hearts' passion and desire? God has paid the way for us to go, not by my own or anyone else's merits or works. It is in Jesus Christ alone and what He has done on the cross.

Have you ever been told that you're too heavenly-minded to be any earthy good? That is the response you might get from someone when you begin to talk about heaven and that anticipation you have. I know I have and at first it stung. But the more I thought about it, I realized my heart and mind are in the right place. While I am still here on this earth, I can keep my focus and goals on heaven. Most of the time however, we are too earthy-minded to be of any heavenly good. We lose our focus. We set our goals aside, but its never too late to get back on track or to get to know Jesus Christ. Look at David's example that is prevalent all throughout the Psalms. David was willing to live for the Lord, that is embarrassed his wife with all his dancing in the streets, something she didn't believe was the way a King should act. What did David tell her? That he would do all that and even more for the glory and joy of the Lord!

The Bible reminds us that as believers in Christ, our citizenship is in heaven and heaven is our final destination.

Revelation 3:12-13 ~ "The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he got out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Heaven has been given many different names and titles in the Bible. Just a few of them are "paradise," "the Kingdom," "the Country," " The Dwelling," or even the "City." Here is Revelation 12, Heaven and the City of God is likened to a "Bride."

Revelation 21:1-2 ~ "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

But perhaps the greatest of all descriptions of heaven for me, is that it is the "Father's House." This we have no doubt that it is the place of desire and of hope for all those who believe in eternal life and presence of God. Heaven is our destination!

1 Corinthians 2:9 ~ "But, as it is written, What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him" 

John 14:2-3 ~ "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

Our new home will be like a bride, filled with anticipation.

Revelation 21:9 ~ "Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seen last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb."

Seeing that a city is neither a wife or a bride; what is announced here is that the dwelling of the Saints and the church is personified as a community or a place. Anticipation should mark the Christian's life.

Matthew 25:13 ~ "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day or the hour."

Titus 2:13 ~ "waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."

These verses shouldn't make us afraid, in fact, they should excite us the more we think about heaven and being with Jesus Christ for all eternity! Does it change the way you live your life now? It should!!!

Our heavenly home will be like a bride kept with purity.

Revelation 21:10 ~ "And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of the heaven from God."

This is now eternity remember. The millennium has ended and we now have a new holy city, a new heaven and a new earth. The sun remember will never set. If you have ever had the most perfect day where you simply never wished for it to end, this will be the day that never ends and you won't want it too!

It will be illuminated with God.

Revelation 21:11 ~ "having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal."

All the stones we read about pertaining to heaven are all opaque or transparent. Here this is clear as crystal with light illuminating from it kinda of like a Thomas Kincaid painting. It looks so real and inviting when you gaze on any of his paintings, you simply wish you could be there. It doesn't even compare to what heaven will be like. It is just a really bad copy, can you imagine that? I only hope mine looks like the image below of Thomas Kincaid's Peaceful Retreat with a bit of snow and rain at times. That is my idea of heaven!

We will pick up more on what awaits us tomorrow!